Who does the data belong to? Where are they saved and processed? Who can access it when and how? Such questions do not only affect authorities and companies in Europe out of concern about cyber attacks and espionage of enemy states. The cloud act has even allowed the American state to access data from American companies for several years-no matter where Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Co have saved. In addition, there has been concern about the development of artificial intelligence (AI): How and with what data are these models trained, are you possibly also open to manipulation?
For SAP as the only European software manufacturer of world rank, there are opportunities and risks at the same time. For months, CEO Christian Klein in Brussels and Berlin has been promoting more standardization of European data rules and less regulation of AI – so as not to fall behind America and the American competition. At the same time, the group has now proclaimed the topic of “digital sovereignty” as a new growth field.
Since Corona, the number of cyber attacks has doubled that the security and the sovereignty of the data are therefore no longer just an option for many customers, but a must, said board member Thomas Saueressig when presenting the new offer. Even for democracy, digital sovereignty is essential. Without digital sovereignty, so sour native, there is no strategic autonomy in Europe.
A all -round package
The board presented a all -round package on Tuesday, from which customers can use as in a kit – depending on the regulatory requirements and depending on the requirements they had in data security or sovereignty. SAP is the only company in the industry to offer the complete chain of performance: from data center to AI application. Customers can therefore choose whether they have their data processed in SAP data centers or on site in their own. Whether they are looked after by local employees or centrally, which hardware, which platform, which software should be used.
According to Saueressig’s words, it is not about isolation or foreclosure. Customers could also use all AI innovations in a sovereign cloud environment, but secure and protected. SAP continues to work with the large “hyperscalers” such as Google, Microsoft or Amazon depending on the customer wishes. Without their arithmetic power, hardly any cloud offer can be found today.
The group named the Federal Working Agency and the armaments manufacturer Hensoldt as sample customers with special requirements for data security. Both have chosen versions of the sovereign cloud from SAP. According to Saueressig’s words, the group wants to invest more than 20 billion euros in the sovereign cloud in the next decade. The aim is to promote Europe’s digital independence through secure, locally operated and regulatory cloud solutions, specially developed for the public sector and heavily regulated industries, the group advertises. However, the board does not cause how much of the 20 billion euros in data centers, development and the company should flow. Saueressig also said that the amount had already been taken into account in the medium -term financial planning.
SAP does not want to become a provider of infrastructure services, the offer of own data centers only applies to their own customers. SAP is involved in discussions on the planned construction of so-called AI gigafactory in the EU. However, especially as a possible large customer, SAP does not want to have a leading role in the construction. In any case, there is no reason to wait for authorities and companies. For security reasons, they would have to act now. The offer of a sovereign cloud is there.
